Evaluation of Carbon Footprint of Automotive Instrument Panel Skin Based on LCA

Abstract

This study primarily conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis on six types of automotive interior instrument panel skins: Slush-molded PVC skin, PU-coated skin, Genuine leather-coated skin, Injection-molded TPV skin, Injection-molded TPEE skin, and Injection-molded TPES skin. The findings revealed that the leather coated skin had the highest carbon footprint. In contrast, the carbon footprints of the Injection-molded TPV skin, PU-coated skin, and Injection-molded TPES skin were relatively low. Among the six types of automotive instrument panel skins, the carbon emissions from the raw material acquisition stage constituted a significant portion of the total life cycle emissions, marking it as a critical phase in the product’s carbon footprint. Additionally, the study examined the impact of the electric factor on the carbon footprint, finding that the electric factor had the greatest effect on the carbon footprint of the Injection-molded TPEE skin.